Control device, system, vehicle, and control method

ABSTRACT

A control device for controlling a vehicle provided with a power supply function for a user includes a control unit that causes a horn of the vehicle to ring under a certain condition when a power outage is detected.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No.2021-087917 filed on May 25, 2021, incorporated herein by reference inits entirety.

BACKGROUND 1. Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to a control device, a system, a vehicle,and a control method.

2. Description of Related Art

Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2020-117178 (JP2020-117178 A) discloses a vehicle that supplies electric power to anexternal device when a disaster occurs.

SUMMARY

Even when a power outage occurs due to a disaster or the like and thepower supply function of the vehicle is useful, if the user does notknow or forgets that the vehicle has the power supply function, thepower supply function of the vehicle cannot be effectively utilized.

An object of the present disclosure is to promote effective utilizationof the power supply function of the vehicle.

A control device according to the present disclosure is a control devicefor controlling a vehicle provided with a power supply function for auser. The control device includes a control unit that causes a horn ofthe vehicle to ring under a certain condition when a power outage isdetected.

A control method according to the present disclosure is a control methodfor controlling a vehicle provided with a power supply function for auser. The control method includes causing a horn of the vehicle to ringby a control unit under a certain condition when a power outage isdetected.

According to the present disclosure, it is possible to promote effectiveutilization of the power supply function of the vehicle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Features, advantages, and technical and industrial significance ofexemplary embodiments of the disclosure will be described below withreference to the accompanying drawings, in which like signs denote likeelements, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a system according to anembodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a control deviceaccording to the embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a connection between an in-vehicledevice of a vehicle according to the embodiment of the presentdisclosure and other units; and

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an operation of the system according tothe embodiment of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be describedbelow with reference to the drawings.

In each drawing, the same or corresponding portions are denoted by thesame reference signs. In the description of each embodiment, descriptionof the same or corresponding components will be appropriately omitted orsimplified.

An embodiment of the present disclosure will be described.

The configuration of a system 10 according to the present embodimentwill be described with reference to FIG. 1 .

The system 10 according to the present embodiment includes at least onecontrol device 20, a first vehicle 31 that is at least one vehiclehaving a power supply function for a user, and a second vehicle 32 thatis at least one other vehicle. The control device 20 can communicatewith the first vehicle 31 and the second vehicle 32 via a network 40.

The control device 20 is installed in facilities such as a data center.The control device 20 is a computer such as a server belonging to acloud computing system or other computing systems.

The first vehicle 31 is used by a first user 11. The first user 11 is,for example, the owner of the first vehicle 31. When the first vehicle31 is not in use, the first vehicle 31 is parked in the parking space atthe home of the first user 11. The first vehicle 31 is an HEV, a PHEV,or a BEV in the present embodiment, but may be an FCEV. The term “HEV”is an abbreviation for “hybrid electric vehicle”. The term “PHEV” is anabbreviation for “plug-in electric hybrid vehicle”. The term “BEV” is anabbreviation for “battery electric vehicle”. The term “FCEV” is anabbreviation for “fuel cell electric vehicle”.

The second vehicle 32 is used by a second user 12. The second user 12is, for example, the owner of the second vehicle 32. When the secondvehicle 32 is not in use, the second vehicle 32 is parked in the parkingspace at the home of the second user 12. The home of the second user 12is in the neighborhood of the home of the first user 11. In the presentembodiment, the second vehicle 32 has a power supply function for auser, like the first vehicle 31. The second vehicle 32 is also an HEV, aPHEV, or a BEV in the present embodiment, but may be an FCEV.

The network 40 includes the Internet, at least one WAN, at least oneMAN, or any combination thereof. The term “WAN” is an abbreviation for“wide area network”. The term “MAN” is an abbreviation for “metropolitanarea network”. The network 40 may include at least one wireless network,at least one optical network, or any combination thereof. The wirelessnetwork is, for example, an ad hoc network, a cellular network, awireless LAN, a satellite communication network, or a terrestrialmicrowave network. The term “LAN” is an abbreviation for “local areanetwork”.

The outline of the present embodiment will be described with referenceto FIG. 1 .

The control device 20 acquires a first image D1 a taken by the firstvehicle 31. The control device 20 identifies an electric light that isturned off, which is included in the acquired first image D1 a. Thecontrol device 20 refers to definition data D2 and determines whether apower outage has occurred. The definition data D2 is data that defineswhether the identified electric light should be lit during the time zonein which the first image D1 a was taken.

According to the present embodiment, when a power outage occurs due to adisaster or the like, the power outage can be detected by using avehicle having a power supply function even if power outage informationcannot be obtained from the center. In other words, the power outage canbe detected independently.

The control device 20 controls the first vehicle 31. Specifically, whenthe control device 20 detects a power outage, the control device 20causes a light 56 of the first vehicle 31 to blink under a certaincondition Cx. When the control device 20 detects a power outage, thecontrol device 20 causes a horn 57 of the first vehicle 31 to ring undera certain condition Cy.

According to the present embodiment, when a power outage occurs due to adisaster or the like, even when the first user 11 does not know orforgets that the first vehicle 31 has a power supply function, theattention of the first user 11 can be directed to the first vehicle 31.As a result, the first user 11 can be informed or reminded that thefirst vehicle 31 has a power supply function. Therefore, it is possibleto promote effective utilization of the power supply function of thevehicle of the first vehicle 31.

The configuration of the control device 20 according to the presentembodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 2 .

The control device 20 includes a control unit 21, a storage unit 22, anda communication unit 23.

The control unit 21 includes at least one processor, at least oneprogrammable circuit, at least one dedicated circuit, or any combinationthereof. The processor is a general-purpose processor such as a CPU orGPU, or a dedicated processor specialized for a specific process. Theterm “CPU” is an abbreviation for “central processing unit”. The term“GPU” is an abbreviation for “graphics processing unit”. Theprogrammable circuit is, for example, an FPGA. The term “FPGA” is anabbreviation for “field-programmable gate array”. The dedicated circuitis, for example, an ASIC. The term “ASIC” is an abbreviation for“application specific integrated circuit”. The control unit 21 executesprocesses related to an operation of the control device 20 whilecontrolling each unit of the control device 20.

The storage unit 22 includes at least one semiconductor memory, at leastone magnetic memory, at least one optical memory, or any combinationthereof. The semiconductor memory is, for example, a RAM or a ROM. Theterm “RAM” is an abbreviation for “random access memory”. The term “ROM”is an abbreviation for “read only memory”. The RAM is, for example, anSRAM or a DRAM. The term “SRAM” is an abbreviation for “static randomaccess memory”. The term “DRAM” is an abbreviation for “dynamic randomaccess memory”. The ROM is, for example, an EEPROM. The term “EEPROM” isan abbreviation for “electrically erasable programmable read onlymemory”. The storage unit 22 functions as, for example, a main storagedevice, an auxiliary storage device, or a cache memory. The storage unit22 stores data used for the operation of the control device 20 and dataacquired through the operation of the control device 20.

The communication unit 23 includes at least one communication interface.The communication interface is, for example, a LAN interface. Thecommunication unit 23 receives the data used for the operation of thecontrol device 20, and transmits the data acquired through the operationof the control device 20.

The function of the control device 20 is realized by executing theprogram according to the present embodiment with the processor servingas the control unit 21. That is, the function of the control device 20is realized by software. The program causes the computer to perform theoperation of the control device 20 such that the computer functions asthe control device 20. That is, the computer functions as the controldevice 20 by performing the operation of the control device 20 inaccordance with the program.

The program can be stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium.The non-transitory computer-readable medium is, for example, a flashmemory, a magnetic recording device, an optical disc, an opto-magneticrecording medium, or a ROM. The distribution of the program is carriedout, for example, by selling, transferring, or renting a portable mediumsuch as an SD card, a DVD, or a CD-ROM in which the program is stored.The term “SD” is an abbreviation for “secure digital”. The term “DVD” isan abbreviation for “digital versatile disc”. The term “CD-ROM” is anabbreviation for “compact disc read only memory”. The program may bestored in the storage of the server and transferred from the server toother computers to distribute the program. The program may be providedas a program product.

The computer temporarily stores the program stored in the portablemedium or the program transferred from the server in the main storagedevice, for example. Then, the computer causes the processor to read theprogram stored in the main storage device, and causes the processor toperform processes according to the read program. The computer may readthe program directly from the portable medium and perform processesaccording to the program. The computer may perform the processesaccording to the received program each time the program is transferredfrom the server to the computer. The processes may be executed by aso-called ASP service that realizes the function only by executioninstruction and result acquisition without transferring the program fromthe server to the computer. The term “ASP” is an abbreviation for“application service provider”. The program includes information that isused for processing by electronic computers and is equivalent to aprogram. For example, data that is not a direct command to a computerbut has the property of defining the processing of the computercorresponds to the “information equivalent to a program”.

A part or all of the functions of the control device 20 may be realizedby a programmable circuit or a dedicated circuit as the control unit 21.That is, a part or all of the functions of the control device 20 may berealized by hardware.

The configuration of the first vehicle 31 according to the presentembodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 3 .

The first vehicle 31 includes an in-vehicle device 50. The in-vehicledevice 50 is, for example, a microcomputer or an ECU. The term “ECU” isan abbreviation for “electronic control unit”.

The in-vehicle device 50 is connected to a communication device 51, acamera 52, an illuminance sensor 53, a GNSS receiver 54, a battery 55,the light 56, the horn 57, a display 58, and a speaker 59 of the firstvehicle 31. The term “GNSS” is an abbreviation for “global navigationsatellite system”. The communication device 51 has a function oftransmitting and receiving data using a communication interface such asan interface compatible with mobile communication standards such as LTE,the 4G standard, or the 5G standard, an interface compatible with V2Xcommunication standards such as DSRC or cellular V2X, an interfacecompatible with short-range wireless communication standards such asBluetooth (registered trademark), or a wireless LAN interface. The term“LTE” is an abbreviation for “long term evolution”. The term “4G” is anabbreviation for “fourth generation”. The term “5G” is an abbreviationfor “fifth generation”. The term “DSRC” is an abbreviation for“dedicated short range communications”. The term “V2X” is anabbreviation for “vehicle-to-everything”. The camera 52 and theilluminance sensor 53 are the same as those provided in a general HEV,PHEV, or BEV. The GNSS receiver 54 has a function of measuring theposition of the first vehicle 31 by using GNSS such as GPS, QZSS, BDS,GLONASS, or Galileo. The term “GPS” is an abbreviation for “globalpositioning system”. The term “QZSS” is an abbreviation for“quasi-zenith satellite system”. The satellites of the QZSS are referredto as quasi-zenith satellites. The term “BDS” is an abbreviation for“BeiDou navigation satellite system”. The term “GLONASS” is anabbreviation for “global navigation satellite system”. The battery 55,the light 56, the horn 57, the display 58, and the speaker 59 are thesame as those provided in a general HEV, PHEV, or BEV. When the firstvehicle 31 is an FCEV, the fuel cell is provided instead of the battery55. The light 56 is a headlight in the present embodiment, but may be atail light, a brake light, a hazard lamp, or an interior light. Thedisplay 58 is, for example, an LCD or an organic EL display. The term“LCD” is an abbreviation for “liquid crystal display”. The term “EL” isan abbreviation for “electroluminescence”.

Since the configuration of the second vehicle 32 is the same as theconfiguration of the first vehicle 31, the description thereof will beomitted.

The configuration of the system 10 according to the present embodimentwill be described with reference to FIG. 4 . This operation correspondsto the determination method according to the present embodiment. Theoperation of the control device 20 included in this operationcorresponds to the control method according to the present embodiment.

In step S1, the control unit 21 of the control device 20 acquires thefirst image D1 a taken by the first vehicle 31. This process may beexecuted by any procedure, but in the present embodiment, the process isexecuted by the following procedure.

The camera 52 of the first vehicle 31 takes an image including anelectric light such as a traffic signal light or a street light thatexists in the vicinity of the first vehicle 31 when the first vehicle 31is moving, paused, or parked in the parking space at the home of thefirst user 11. This image may be a still image or a moving image. TheGNSS receiver 54 of the first vehicle 31 measures the position of thefirst vehicle 31 when the image is taken by the camera 52. Thein-vehicle device 50 of the first vehicle 31 acquires the image taken bythe camera 52 and the positioning result indicating the positionmeasured by the GNSS receiver 54. The in-vehicle device 50 causes thecommunication device 51 to transmit the acquired image and thepositioning result as the first image D1 a and first position data D3 a,respectively. The communication device 51 transmits the first image D1 aand the first position data D3 a to the control device 20 via mobilecommunication. The communication unit 23 of the control device 20receives the first image D1 a and the first position data D3 a from thefirst vehicle 31. The control unit 21 of the control device 20 acquiresthe first image D1 a and the first position data D3 a received by thecommunication unit 23.

In step S2, the control unit 21 of the control device 20 identifies anelectric light that is turned off, which is included in the first imageD1 a acquired in step S1. Specifically, the control unit 21 analyzes thefirst image D1 a to identify a traffic signal light or a street lightthat is turned off as the electric light that is turned off and that isincluded in the first image D1 a. As a method of image analysis, a knownmethod can be used. Machine learning such as deep learning may be used.

In step S3, the control unit 21 of the control device 20 refers to thedefinition data D2 and determines whether a power outage has occurred.The definition data D2 is data that defines whether the electric lightidentified in step S2 should be lit during the time zone in which thefirst image D1 a was taken. In the present embodiment, the definitiondata D2 is stored in advance in the storage unit 22 of the controldevice 20. Alternatively, the definition data D2 may be stored in anexternal storage and referred to via the communication unit 23.

In the present embodiment, the definition data D2 includes data thatdefines the point where the electric light is installed and the timezone when the electric light should be lit for each electric lightinstalled on the road or the intersection in the same area as the homeof the first user 11. For example, suppose that the definition data D2defines that a certain traffic signal light L1 is installed in thevicinity of the position indicated by the first position data D3 aacquired in step S1 and that the traffic signal light L1 should bealways lit. It is assumed that the traffic signal light L1 isidentified, in step S2, as the electric light that is turned off. Inthis case, the traffic signal light L1 is turned off even though thetraffic signal light L1 should be always lit. Therefore, the controlunit 21 of the control device 20 determines that a power outage hasoccurred. Alternatively, suppose that the definition data D2 definesthat a certain street light L2 is installed in the vicinity of theposition indicated by the first position data D3 a acquired in step S1and that the street light L2 should be lit during the nighttime. It isassumed that the street light L2 is identified, in step S2, as theelectric light that is turned off. When the time when the first image D1a is taken is during the nighttime, such as midnight, the street lightL2 should be turned on, but the street light L2 is turned off.Therefore, the control unit 21 determines that a power outage hasoccurred. When the time when the first image D1 a is taken is during thedaytime, such as noon, the street light L2 may be turned off. Therefore,the control unit 21 determines that a power outage has not occurred.

As the electric light that is turned off and that is included in thefirst image D1 a, instead of or in addition to the traffic signal lightor the street light that is turned off, a building such as an officebuilding with lights completely turned off may be identified. In such amodification, the definition data D2 includes data that defines thelocation and business hours for each building existing in the same areaas the home of the first user 11. For example, suppose that thedefinition data D2 defines that a certain office building L3 exists inthe vicinity of the position indicated by the first position data D3 aacquired in step S1 and that the business hours of the office buildingL3 are from 7:00 AM to 10:00 PM. It is assumed that the office buildingL3 is identified, in step S2, as the electric light that is turned off.That is, it is assumed that it is recognized that the lights in all thewindows of the office building L3 are turned off. When the time when thefirst image D1 a is taken is between 7:00 AM and 10:00 PM, the officebuilding L3 should have at least one window with the lights turned on,but the lights in all the windows are turned off. Therefore, the controlunit 21 of the control device 20 determines that a power outage hasoccurred. When the time when the first image D1 a is taken is earlierthan 7:00 AM or later than 10:00 PM, the lights in all the windows ofthe office building L3 may be turned off. Therefore, the control unit 21determines that a power outage has not occurred.

It may be determined whether a power outage has occurred by furtherusing an image taken by the second vehicle 32 at a time close to thetime when the first image D1 a was taken. In that case, in step S1, thecommunication unit 23 of the control device 20 receives, from the secondvehicle 32, a second image D1 b taken by the second vehicle 32 at thesame time zone as the first image D1 a was taken. The communication unit23 receives, from the second vehicle 32, second position data D3 bindicating the position of the second vehicle 32 together with thesecond image D1 b. The control unit 21 of the control device 20 acquiresthe second image D1 b and the second position data D3 b received by thecommunication unit 23. In step S2, the control unit 21 analyzes thesecond image D1 b acquired in step S1 to identify an electric light suchas a traffic signal light or a street light included in the second imageD1 b. In step S3, the control unit 21 refers to the definition data D2and determines whether a power outage has occurred. The control unit 21determines that a power outage has occurred when all the electric lightsincluded in the plurality of images received in step S1 that should belit during the time zone when the images were taken are turned off.

For example, suppose that, in step S2, the street light L2 describedabove is identified as the electric light that is turned off and that isincluded in the first image D1 a, and the traffic signal light L1described above is identified as the electric light that is turned offand that is included in the second image D1 b. When the time zone inwhich the first image D1 a and the second image D1 b are taken is duringthe nighttime, both the street light L2 and the traffic signal light L1should be turned on, but the street light L2 and the traffic signallight L1 are turned off. Therefore, the control unit 21 of the controldevice 20 determines that a power outage has occurred. When the timezone in which the first image D1 a and the second image D1 b are takenis during the daytime, the street light L2 may be turned off, and thetraffic signal light L1 should be turned on, but the traffic signallight L1 is turned off. Therefore, the control unit 21 determines that apower outage has occurred.

When it is determined in step S3 that no power outage has occurred, theprocess of step S1 is executed again. When it is determined in step S3that a power outage has occurred, in step S4 and thereafter, the controlunit 21 of the control device 20 causes the light 56 of the firstvehicle 31 to blink under a certain condition Cx, and causes the horn 57of the first vehicle 31 to ring under a certain condition Cy. That is,when the control unit 21 detects a power outage, the control unit 21causes the light 56 of the first vehicle 31 to blink under the conditionCx. When the control unit 21 detects a power outage, the control unit 21causes the horn 57 of the first vehicle 31 to ring under the conditionCy.

The condition Cx and the condition Cy may be conditions that can besatisfied at the same time, but in the present embodiment, the conditionCx and the condition Cy are contradictory conditions. Specifically, thecondition Cx includes that the time when the power outage is detected isduring the nighttime, while the condition Cy includes that the time whenthe power outage is detected is during the daytime.

In step S4, the control unit 21 of the control device 20 determineswhich of the condition Cx and the condition Cy is satisfied.Specifically, the control unit 21 determines whether the time when it isdetermined that a power outage has occurred is during the nighttime orduring the daytime. In the present embodiment, the nighttime is the timefrom sunset to sunrise, and the daytime is the time other than thenighttime, but the definitions of the nighttime and the daytime may bechanged as appropriate.

The condition Cx may include, as an alternative or additional condition,that the brightness around the first vehicle 31 is less than athreshold. The condition Cy may include, as an alternative or additionalcondition, that the brightness around the first vehicle 31 is equal toor more than the threshold. In such a modification, the illuminancesensor 53 of the first vehicle 31 measures the brightness around thefirst vehicle 31. The in-vehicle device 50 of the first vehicle 31acquires a measurement result indicating the brightness measured by theilluminance sensor 53. The in-vehicle device 50 causes the communicationdevice 51 to transmit the acquired measurement result as brightness dataD4. The communication device 51 transmits the brightness data D4 to thecontrol device 20 via mobile communication. The communication unit 23 ofthe control device 20 receives the brightness data D4 from the firstvehicle 31. The control unit 21 of the control device 20 acquires thebrightness data D4 received by the communication unit 23. The controlunit 21 compares the brightness indicated by the acquired brightnessdata D4 with the threshold. That is, the control unit 21 determineswhich of the condition Cx and the condition Cy is satisfied based on thebrightness around the first vehicle 31 instead of or in addition to thetime.

The condition Cx may include, as an alternative or additional condition,that the first user 11 is at home. In such a modification, thecommunication unit 23 of the control device 20 receives data indicatingwhether the first user 11 is at home from a sensor installed at the homeof the first user 11. Alternatively, the communication unit 23 receivesdata indicating the position of the first user 11 from a mobile devicesuch as a mobile phone, a smartphone, or a tablet of the first user 11.The control unit 21 of the control device 20 refers to the data receivedby the communication unit 23 and determines whether the first user 11 isat home. That is, the control unit 21 determines whether the conditionCx is satisfied based on the position of the first user 11 instead of orin addition to the time.

The condition Cy may also include, as an alternative or additionalcondition, that the first user 11 is at home. That is, the control unit21 of the control device 20 may determine whether the condition Cy issatisfied based on the position of the first user 11 instead of or inaddition to the time.

The condition Cx may include, as an alternative or additional condition,that the first vehicle 31 is in the field of view of the first user 11.In such a modification, the communication unit 23 of the control device20 receives data indicating whether the first user 11 is at home, and ifthe first user 11 is at home, which room the first user 11 is in from asensor installed at the home of the first user 11. The control unit 21of the control device 20 refers to the data received by thecommunication unit 23 and determines whether the first user 11 is athome, and if the first user 11 is at home, which room the first user 11is in. The control unit 21 refers to the first position data D3 aacquired in step S1 and further determines whether the first vehicle 31is parked in the parking space at the home of the first user 11. Whenthe control unit 21 determines that the first user 11 is at home and thefirst vehicle 31 is parked in the parking space at the home of the firstuser 11, the control unit 21 refers to the data indicating the layout ofthe home of the first user 11 and further determines whether the firstvehicle 31 can be seen from the room where the first user 11 is in. Thatis, the control unit 21 specifies the position of the first user 11 anddetermines whether the first vehicle 31 is in the field of view of thefirst user 11 according to the specified position. As a furthermodification, the control unit 21 may specify the orientation of theface of the first user 11 and determine whether the first vehicle 31 isin the field of view of the first user 11 according to the specifiedorientation. The data indicating the orientation of the face of thefirst user 11 can be acquired from, for example, a sensor installed atthe home of the first user 11.

When it is determined in step S4 that the condition Cx is satisfied, theprocess of step S5 is executed. When it is determined in step S4 thatthe condition Cy is satisfied, the process of step S7 is executed.

In step S5, the control unit 21 of the control device 20 causes thecommunication unit 23 to transmit instruction data D5 x. The instructiondata D5 x is data instructing the light 56 of the first vehicle 31 toblink. The communication unit 23 transmits the instruction data D5 x tothe first vehicle 31. The communication device 51 of the first vehicle31 receives the instruction data D5 x from the control device 20 viamobile communication. The in-vehicle device 50 of the first vehicle 31causes the light 56 to blink according to the instruction data D5 xreceived by the communication device 51.

In step S6, the control unit 21 of the control device 20 causes thelight 56 to keep blinking until the first user 11 performs an operationof stopping the blinking of the light 56. When the control unit 21causes the light 56 to stop blinking, in step S9, the control unit 21presents the first user 11 with guidance regarding the use of the powersupply function of the first vehicle 31. The processes in step S6 andstep S9 may be executed by any procedure, but in the present embodiment,the processes are executed by the following procedure.

The in-vehicle device 50 of the first vehicle 31 displays a messageindicating a power outage situation and a “stop blinking” button on thedisplay 58. When the first user 11 presses the “stop blinking” buttonvia a touch screen provided integrally with the display 58, thein-vehicle device 50 causes the communication device 51 to transmitreport data D6 x. The report data D6 x is data for reporting that anoperation for stopping the blinking of the light 56 has been performed.The communication device 51 transmits the report data D6 x to thecontrol device 20 via mobile communication. The communication unit 23 ofthe control device 20 receives the report data D6 x from the firstvehicle 31. The control unit 21 of the control device 20 causes thecommunication unit 23 to transmit instruction data D7 x in response tothe report data D6 x received by the communication unit 23. Theinstruction data D7 x is data instructing to stop the blinking of thelight 56 of the first vehicle 31 and to present the first user 11 withguidance regarding the use of the power supply function of the firstvehicle 31. The communication unit 23 transmits the instruction data D7x to the first vehicle 31. The communication device 51 of the firstvehicle 31 receives the instruction data D7 x from the control device 20via mobile communication. The in-vehicle device 50 of the first vehicle31 stops the blinking of the light 56 and presents the first user 11with guidance regarding the use of the power supply function accordingto the instruction data D7 x received by the communication device 51.Any method may be used as the method of presenting the guidance, but inthe present embodiment, the method of displaying the guidance on thedisplay 58, the method of outputting the guidance by voice from thespeaker 59 of the first vehicle 31, or a combination of the above isused.

In the present embodiment, the guidance regarding the use of the powersupply function of the first vehicle 31 includes an explanation on howto use the power supply function, such as where to insert the power plugof the external device. The guidance may include a notification of theamount of electric power that can be supplied by the power supplyfunction. The amount of electric power that can be supplied may becalculated from the remaining amount of the battery 55 of the firstvehicle 31 by the in-vehicle device 50 of the first vehicle 31. Theguidance may include a notification of devices that can be powered withthe power supply function, such as a rice cooker, a vacuum cleaner, or asmartphone. The device that can be powered may be specified by thein-vehicle device 50 according to the remaining amount of the battery55.

In the case where the first user 11 discovers that the light 56 of thefirst vehicle 31 is unintentionally blinking when he/she is not in thefirst vehicle 31 such as when he/she is at home, it is conceivable thatthe first user 11 approaches the first vehicle 31 to turn off the light56. Therefore, it is possible to create an opportunity to notify thefirst user 11 of the power supply function of the first vehicle 31without making a sound. It is annoying to the surrounding residents ifthe first user 11 is notified by making a sound during the nighttime,but such a situation can be avoided in the present embodiment.

In the case where the light 56 of the first vehicle 31 unintentionallystarts blinking not only when the first user 11 is not in the firstvehicle 31 but also when he/she is in the first vehicle 31 such as whenhe/she is driving, it is conceivable that the first user 11 performs anoperation to stop the blinking of the light 56. Therefore, by presentingthe guidance when this operation is performed, the power supply functionof the first vehicle 31 can be reliably notified to the first user 11.

In step S7, the control unit 21 of the control device 20 causes thecommunication unit 23 to transmit instruction data D5 y. The instructiondata D5 y is data instructing the horn 57 of the first vehicle 31 toring. The communication unit 23 transmits the instruction data D5 y tothe first vehicle 31. The communication device 51 of the first vehicle31 receives the instruction data D5 y from the control device 20 viamobile communication. The in-vehicle device 50 of the first vehicle 31causes the horn 57 to ring according to the instruction data D5 yreceived by the communication device 51.

In step S8, the control unit 21 of the control device 20 causes the horn57 to keep ringing until the first user 11 performs an operation ofstopping the ringing of the horn 57. When the control unit 21 causes thehorn 57 to stop ringing, in step S9, the control unit 21 presents thefirst user 11 with guidance regarding the use of the power supplyfunction of the first vehicle 31. The processes in step S8 and step S9may be executed by any procedure, but in the present embodiment, theprocesses are executed by the following procedure.

The in-vehicle device 50 of the first vehicle 31 displays a messageindicating a power outage situation and a “stop ringing” button on thedisplay 58. When the first user 11 presses the “stop ringing” button viathe touch screen provided integrally with the display 58, the in-vehicledevice 50 causes the communication device 51 to transmit report data D6y. The report data D6 y is data for reporting that an operation forstopping the ringing of the horn 57 has been performed. Thecommunication device 51 transmits the report data D6 y to the controldevice 20 via mobile communication. The communication unit 23 of thecontrol device 20 receives the report data D6 y from the first vehicle31. The control unit 21 of the control device 20 causes thecommunication unit 23 to transmit instruction data D7 y in response tothe report data D6 y received by the communication unit 23. Theinstruction data D7 y is data instructing to stop the ringing of thehorn 57 of the first vehicle 31 and to present the first user 11 withguidance regarding the use of the power supply function of the firstvehicle 31. The communication unit 23 transmits the instruction data D7y to the first vehicle 31. The communication device 51 of the firstvehicle 31 receives the instruction data D7 y from the control device 20via mobile communication. The in-vehicle device 50 of the first vehicle31 stops the ringing of the horn 57 and presents the first user 11 withguidance regarding the use of the power supply function according to theinstruction data D7 y received by the communication device 51. Themethod of presenting the guidance and the content of the guidance are asdescribed above.

In the case where the first user 11 discovers that the horn 57 of thefirst vehicle 31 is unintentionally ringing when he/she is not in thefirst vehicle 31 such as when he/she is at home, it is conceivable thatthe first user 11 approaches the first vehicle 31 to stop the ringing ofthe horn 57. Therefore, it is possible to create an opportunity tonotify the first user 11 of the power supply function of the firstvehicle 31. In the daytime, the horn 57 is effective because it isdifficult for the first user 11 to notice even if the light 56 blinks.

In the case where the horn 57 of the first vehicle 31 unintentionallystarts ringing not only when the first user 11 is not in the firstvehicle 31 but also when he/she is in the first vehicle 31 such as whenhe/she is driving, it is conceivable that the first user 11 performs anoperation to stop the ringing of the horn 57. Therefore, by presentingthe guidance when this operation is performed, the power supply functionof the first vehicle 31 can be reliably notified to the first user 11.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the control unit 21 ofthe control device 20 recognizes an electric light such as a trafficlight or a nightlight from the image taken by the camera 52 of the firstvehicle 31. The control unit 21 determines that a power outage hasoccurred when the recognized electric light is turned off during thetime zone when the electric light is normally lit. Then, the controlunit 21 causes the light 56 of the first vehicle 31 to blink or causesthe horn 57 of the first vehicle 31 to ring to call the first user 11 tothe first vehicle 31 and direct the attention of the first user 11 tothe first vehicle 31. When the operation to stop the blinking of thelight 56 or the ringing of the horn 57 is performed, the control unit 21presents the first user 11 with guidance regarding the use of the powersupply function.

According to the present embodiment, when a power outage occurs, thepower outage can be detected by using the first vehicle 31 even if thepower outage information cannot be obtained from the center. In otherwords, the power outage can be detected independently. As a result, thework required for power supply, such as guidance on how to use the powersupply function of the first vehicle 31, can be performed by the system10 alone.

The control unit 21 of the control device 20 may specify an area where apower outage has occurred based on the state of an electric light suchas a traffic light at a plurality of locations. The control unit 21 maysend a push-notification to a person in the specified area that electricpower can be supplied from the first vehicle 31.

When a power outage occurs, the control unit 21 of the control device 20may cause the light 56 of the first vehicle 31 to blink or cause thehorn 57 of the first vehicle 31 to ring to inform the surroundings ofthe first vehicle 31 that the first vehicle 31 has a power supplyfunction.

In step S6, the control unit 21 of the control device 20 may cause thelight 56 to keep blinking until the first user 11 simply gets in thefirst vehicle 31 instead of until the first user 11 performs anoperation of stopping the blinking of the light 56. In such amodification, the in-vehicle device 50 of the first vehicle 31 causesthe communication device 51 to transmit report data D8 x when the firstuser 11 is detected by a camera or a weight sensor installed inside thefirst vehicle 31, or when an event implying that the first user 11 hasgotten in the first vehicle 31 occurs, such as when the door of thefirst vehicle 31 is once opened and then closed. The report data D8 x isdata for reporting that the first user 11 has gotten in the firstvehicle 31. The communication device 51 transmits the report data D8 xto the control device 20 via mobile communication. The communicationunit 23 of the control device 20 receives the report data D8 x from thefirst vehicle 31. The control unit 21 of the control device 20 causesthe communication unit 23 to transmit the instruction data D7 x inresponse to the report data D8 x received by the communication unit 23.

In step S6, the control unit 21 of the control device 20 may cause thehorn 57 to keep ringing until the first user 11 simply gets in the firstvehicle 31 instead of until the first user 11 performs an operation ofstopping the ringing of the horn 57. In such a modification, thein-vehicle device 50 of the first vehicle 31 causes the communicationdevice 51 to transmit report data D8 y when the first user 11 isdetected by a camera or a weight sensor installed inside the firstvehicle 31, or when an event implying that the first user 11 has gottenin the first vehicle 31 occurs, such as when the door of the firstvehicle 31 is once opened and then closed. The report data D8 y is datafor reporting that the first user 11 has gotten in the first vehicle 31.The communication device 51 transmits the report data D8 y to thecontrol device 20 via mobile communication. The communication unit 23 ofthe control device 20 receives the report data D8 y from the firstvehicle 31. The control unit 21 of the control device 20 causes thecommunication unit 23 to transmit the instruction data D7 y in responseto the report data D8 y received by the communication unit 23.

When the control unit 21 of the control device 20 causes the horn of aneighboring vehicle such as the second vehicle 32, which has the samefunction as the first vehicle 31, to ring like the horn 57 of the firstvehicle 31, the ringing pattern such as the rhythm or the ringing timingmay be different depending on the horn. In that case, in step S7, thecontrol unit 21 of the control device 20 sets the ringing pattern of thehorn 57 of the first vehicle 31 to a first pattern and the ringingpattern of the horn of the second vehicle 32 to a second pattern. Thefirst pattern and the second pattern are different from each other. Thecontrol unit 21 causes the communication unit 23 to transmit firstinstruction data D5 ya as the instruction data D5 y. The firstinstruction data D5 ya is data instructing the horn 57 of the firstvehicle 31 to ring in the first pattern. The control unit 21 furthercauses the communication unit 23 to transmit second instruction data D5yb. The second instruction data D5 yb is data instructing the horn ofthe second vehicle 32 to ring in the second pattern. The communicationunit 23 transmits the second instruction data D5 yb to the secondvehicle 32. The communication device of the second vehicle 32 receivesthe second instruction data D5 yb from the control device 20 via mobilecommunication. The in-vehicle device of the second vehicle 32 causes thehorn of the second vehicle 32 to ring in the second pattern according tothe second instruction data D5 yb received by the communication device.According to such a modification, the ringing pattern of the horn foreach vehicle can be customized. Therefore, it is easy to understandwhich vehicle's horn is ringing.

When it is determined in step S3 that a power outage has occurred, thecontrol unit 21 of the control device 20 may notify the first user 11that a power outage has occurred, instead of causing the light 56 of thefirst vehicle 31 to blink or causing the horn 57 of the first vehicle 31to ring. That is, when the control unit 21 determines that a poweroutage has occurred, the control unit 21 may simply notify the firstuser 11 that a power outage has occurred. In that case, when the controlunit 21 detects the approach of the first user 11 to the first vehicle31, the control unit 21 may present the first user 11 with guidanceregarding the use of the power supply function of the first vehicle 31,as in step S9. In such a modification, the in-vehicle device 50 of thefirst vehicle 31 causes the communication device 51 to transmit reportdata D6 z when the communication device 51 of the first vehicle 31detects a mobile device such as a mobile phone, a smartphone, or atablet of the first user 11 via short-range wireless communication suchas Bluetooth (registered trademark) or via wireless LAN communication,or when an event implying that the first user 11 has approached thefirst vehicle 31 occurs, such as when the camera 52 of the first vehicle31 takes an image of the first user 11. The report data D6 z is data forreporting that the first user 11 has approached the first vehicle 31.The communication device 51 transmits the report data D6 z to thecontrol device 20 via mobile communication. The communication unit 23 ofthe control device 20 receives the report data D6 z from the firstvehicle 31. The control unit 21 of the control device 20 causes thecommunication unit 23 to transmit instruction data D7 z in response tothe report data D6 z received by the communication unit 23. Theinstruction data D7 z is data instructing to present the first user 11with guidance regarding the use of the power supply function of thefirst vehicle 31. The communication unit 23 transmits the instructiondata D7 z to the first vehicle 31. The communication device 51 of thefirst vehicle 31 receives the instruction data D7 z from the controldevice 20 via mobile communication. The in-vehicle device 50 of thefirst vehicle 31 presents the first user 11 with guidance regarding theuse of the power supply function according to the instruction data D7 zreceived by the communication device 51. The method of presenting theguidance and the content of the guidance are as described above, but asa modification of the method of presenting the guidance, a method ofdisplaying the guidance on the mobile device of the first user 11, amethod of outputting the guidance by voice from the mobile device of thefirst user 11, or a combination of the above may be used.

The present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments describedabove. For example, two or more blocks shown in the block diagram may beintegrated, or a single block may be divided. Instead of executing twoor more steps shown in the flowchart in chronological order according tothe description, the steps may be executed in parallel or in a differentorder, depending on the processing capacities of the devices thatexecute the steps, or as necessary. Other changes may be made withoutdeparting from the scope of the present disclosure.

For example, the control device 20 may be provided in the first vehicle31. In that case, a part of the operation of the in-vehicle device 50 ofthe first vehicle 31 may be performed by the control device 20. Thecontrol device 20 may directly present the guidance regarding the use ofthe power supply function of the first vehicle 31 to the first user 11instead of presenting the guidance to the first user 11 via thein-vehicle device 50. The in-vehicle device 50 may be integrated intothe control device 20. In such a modification, the processes in step S1to step S3 are executed, for example, by the following procedure.

In step S1, the camera 52 of the first vehicle 31 captures an imageincluding an electric light such as a traffic signal light or a streetlight existing in the vicinity of the first vehicle 31. The GNSSreceiver 54 of the first vehicle 31 measures the position of the firstvehicle 31 when the image is taken by the camera 52. The control unit 21of the control device 20 acquires the image taken by the camera 52 andthe positioning result indicating the position measured by the GNSSreceiver 54 as the first image D1 a and the first position data D3 a,respectively. The communication unit 23 of the control device 20receives, from the second vehicle 32 via vehicle-to-vehiclecommunication, the second image D1 b taken by the second vehicle 32 atthe same time zone as the first image D1 a was taken. The communicationunit 23 receives, from the second vehicle 32, the second position dataD3 b indicating the position of the second vehicle 32 together with thesecond image D1 b. The control unit 21 acquires the second image D1 band the second position data D3 b received by the communication unit 23.

In step S2, the control unit 21 of the control device 20 analyzes thefirst image D1 a acquired in step S1 to identify an electric light suchas a traffic signal light or a street light that is turned off and thatis included in the first image D1 a. The control unit 21 analyzes thesecond image D1 b acquired in step S1 to identify an electric light suchas a traffic signal light or a street light that is turned off and thatis included in the second image D1 b.

In step S3, the control unit 21 of the control device 20 refers to thedefinition data D2 and determines whether a power outage has occurred.The control unit 21 determines that a power outage has occurred when allthe electric lights included in the plurality of images including thefirst image D1 a taken in step S1 and the second image D1 b received instep S1 that should be lit during the time zone when the images weretaken are turned off.

According to this modification, when a power outage occurs, the poweroutage can be detected by the first vehicle 31 alone even if the poweroutage information cannot be obtained from the center. As a result, thework required for power supply, such as guidance on how to use the powersupply function of the first vehicle 31, can be performed by the firstvehicle 31 alone.

In this modification, when the control unit 21 of the control device 20causes the horn of a neighboring vehicle such as the second vehicle 32,which has the same function as the first vehicle 31, to ring like thehorn 57 of the first vehicle 31, the ringing pattern such as the rhythmor the ringing timing may be different depending on the horn. In thatcase, in step S7, the control unit 21 of the control device 20 sets theringing pattern of the horn 57 of the first vehicle 31 to the firstpattern. The control unit 21 causes the horn 57 of the first vehicle 31to ring in the first pattern, and causes the communication unit 23 totransmit first setting data D9 a. The first setting data D9 a is datafor setting the ringing pattern of the horn of the second vehicle 32 tothe second pattern that is different from the first pattern. Thecommunication unit 23 transmits the first setting data D9 a to thesecond vehicle 32. The communication device of the second vehicle 32receives the first setting data D9 a from the control device 20 viavehicle-to-vehicle communication. The in-vehicle device of the secondvehicle 32 refers to the first setting data D9 a received by thecommunication device, and causes the horn of the second vehicle 32 toring in the second pattern. According to this modification, the ringingpatterns of the horns for each vehicle can be adjusted so as not tooverlap each other via vehicle-to-vehicle communication.

As a further modification, the ringing pattern of the horn 57 of thefirst vehicle 31 may be set by the second vehicle 32 instead of by thefirst vehicle 31. In that case, in step S7, the communication unit 23 ofthe control device 20 receives second setting data D9 b from the secondvehicle 32. The second setting data D9 b is data for setting the ringingpattern of the horn 57 of the first vehicle 31 to the first pattern thatis different from the second pattern, which is the ringing pattern ofthe horn of the second vehicle 32. The control unit 21 of the controldevice 20 refers to the second setting data D9 b received by thecommunication unit 23, and causes the horn 57 of the first vehicle 31 toring in the first pattern. According to this modification, the ringingpatterns of the horns for each vehicle can be adjusted so as not tooverlap each other via vehicle-to-vehicle communication.

What is claimed is:
 1. A control device for controlling a vehicleprovided with a power supply function for a user, the control devicecomprising a control unit that causes a horn of the vehicle to ringunder a certain condition when a power outage is detected.
 2. Thecontrol device according to claim 1, wherein the condition includes thata time when the power outage is detected is during the daytime.
 3. Thecontrol device according to claim 1, wherein the condition includes thata brightness around the vehicle is equal to or more than a threshold. 4.The control device according to claim 1, wherein the condition includesthat the user is at home.
 5. The control device according to claim 1,wherein the control unit causes the horn to keep ringing until the userperforms an operation to stop the ringing of the horn.
 6. The controldevice according to claim 1, wherein the control unit causes the horn tokeep ringing until the user gets in the vehicle.
 7. The control deviceaccording to claim 1, wherein when the control unit causes the ringingof the horn to stop, the control unit presents the user with guidanceregarding use of the power supply function.
 8. The control deviceaccording to claim 7, wherein the guidance includes an explanation onhow to use the power supply function.
 9. The control device according toclaim 7, wherein the guidance includes a notification of an amount ofelectric power that is able to be supplied by the power supply function.10. The control device according to claim 7, wherein the guidanceincludes a notification of a device that is able to be powered by thepower supply function.
 11. The control device according to claim 1,further comprising a communication unit that communicates with thevehicle, wherein the control unit causes the communication unit totransmit instruction data for instructing the horn to ring to cause thehorn to ring.
 12. The control device according to claim 11, wherein: thecommunication unit further communicates with at least one other vehicle;and the control unit sets a ringing pattern of the horn of the vehicleto a first pattern and a ringing pattern of a horn of the at least oneother vehicle to a second pattern, the first pattern and the secondpattern being different from each other, causes the communication unitto transmit data for instructing the horn of the vehicle to ring in thefirst pattern as the instruction data, and causes the communication unitto further transmit data for instructing the horn of the at least oneother vehicle to ring in the second pattern.
 13. A system comprising:the control device according to claim 11; and the vehicle.
 14. A vehiclecomprising the control device according to claim
 1. 15. The vehicleaccording to claim 14, wherein: the control device further includes acommunication unit that receives setting data from at least one othervehicle, the setting data being data for setting a ringing pattern of ahorn of the vehicle to a first pattern different from a second patternthat is a ringing pattern of a horn of the at least one other vehicle;and the control unit refers to the setting data received by thecommunication unit to cause the horn of the vehicle to ring in the firstpattern.
 16. The vehicle according to claim 14, wherein: the controldevice further includes a communication unit that communicates with atleast one other vehicle; and the control unit sets a ringing pattern ofa horn of the vehicle to a first pattern to cause the horn of thevehicle to ring in the first pattern, and causes the communication unitto transmit setting data for setting a ringing pattern of a horn of theat least one other vehicle to a second pattern different from the firstpattern.
 17. A control method for controlling a vehicle provided with apower supply function for a user, the control method comprising causinga horn of the vehicle to ring by a control unit under a certaincondition when a power outage is detected.
 18. The control methodaccording to claim 17, further comprising: setting, by the control unit,a ringing pattern of the horn of the vehicle to a first pattern and aringing pattern of a horn of at least one other vehicle to a secondpattern, the first pattern and the second pattern being different fromeach other; transmitting, to the vehicle, first instruction data forinstructing the horn of the vehicle to ring in the first pattern; andtransmitting, to the at least one other vehicle, second instruction datafor instructing the horn of the at least one other vehicle to ring inthe second pattern.
 19. The control method according to claim 17,further comprising receiving setting data from at least one othervehicle, the setting data being data for setting a ringing pattern ofthe horn of the vehicle to a first pattern different from a secondpattern that is a ringing pattern of a horn of the at least one othervehicle, wherein causing the horn to ring includes referring to thesetting data to cause the horn of the vehicle to ring in the firstpattern.
 20. The control method according to claim 17, furthercomprising: setting a ringing pattern of the horn of the vehicle to afirst pattern; and transmitting setting data to at least one othervehicle, the setting data being data for setting a ringing pattern of ahorn of the at least one other vehicle to a second pattern differentfrom the first pattern, wherein causing the horn to ring includescausing the horn of the vehicle to ring in the first pattern.